Birthdays and 12 steppers.

DessaDessa, News

The new Whitney Houston album is out.  I’ve heard snippets of it on the radio, but I don’t think I can listen to the record in its entirety. If it’s garbage, it’ll just kill me.  Somehow in the murky years of childhood, my impression of Whitney Houston became inextricably linked to my understanding of my mother. They looked sort of … Read More

Oh, Now this is just ridiculous.

DessaDessa, News

I’ve always been pretty reluctant to chime in on the ‘body issue’ topics that female artists are asked to comment on. It seems like there’s already more than enough discussion on image and the inflated role it plays in our culture. Nonetheless, this ad riled me up. I mean come the fuck on.    I give in. Bring on the … Read More

Dessa at the Cedar

DessaDessa, News

The Walker Art Center was kind enough to ask me to play at one of their events–I intend on pouring my PBR into a champagne flute for the occasion.  I’ll be performing on Wednesday at the Cedar Cultural Center with a new little quartet, pictured below.

Checking In and Checking Out.

DessaDessa, News

Hello fair friends.  My, what a whirlwind these past few months have been. A whirlwind of modest successes and minor frustrations, of vehicular travel, of music and of friendship all the attendant thrills and heartbreaks.  Doomtree went on tour. As Doomtree is wont to do, we went left: hit the West Coast top to bottom. We were largely impressed by … Read More

An Update from the Elbo Room

DessaDessa, News

Who’d imagine that a club with such an inelegant name would turn out to be so chic and lovely? Floor-length drapes; dim red light; unmatched mirrors, and hip kids who stop short of being poisonously fashionable. The room is filling slowly, Jean Grae is on the overhead speakers, and I’m plugging away on my MacBook behind Lazerbeak at the merch … Read More

2005.02.24 – MN Daily – "Rise of the rebels"

DoomtreeCecil Otter, Dessa, Press

Link Rise of the rebels Every rap crew says it’s as tight as family. G-Unit? Cohesive. The Roots? Solid. Doomtree, though, is like a vise-grip. Most of its members even live together. By Tom Horgen February 24, 2005 DESSA Every rap crew says it’s as tight as family. G-Unit? Cohesive. The Roots? Solid. Doomtree, though, is like a vise-grip. Most … Read More